Homonhon, Manicani Is. nurse wounds of mining

Manicani and Homonhon islands in the central Philippines offer rich history surrounded by virgin coastlines. But beneath the beauty lie mining areas that have altered the landscape, according to an ABS-CBN News report by Mark Saludes.

“The beauty of the islands will soon be gone if people will not oppose mining and the destruction of the environment,” said Yolanda Esguerra, national coordinator of Philippine Misereor Partneship Inc (PMPI).

“It is like a train wreck waiting to happen. If these open pit-mining sites will be left unrestored, it will endanger the lives of the people living in the communities, aside from the fact that it already affects water systems and the ecology,” she said.

At least four mining companies operate in Homonhon, where Ferdinand Magellan first landed in 1521, setting the stage for Spain's colonization of the Philippines. These include Emir Mineral Resources Corp, which was suspended due to alleged environmental violations.

Titing Capachete, mining engineer of Emir, said the company would not leave the area “until disturbed land is fully rehabilitated.” He said, “it will take at least three years before we can see the changes in the surface of the land being rehabilitated.”

Rehabilitation will involve dumping soil into the open pit, planting trees and maintaining the area, he said. “We don’t just recover mined out areas, we help communities by providing funds for social programs that the barangay government wants to implement,” he said..

In Manicani, where the government halted operations of Hinatuan Mining Corp in 2002, rehabilitation has not started because of the suspension order.

“The hands of HMC are tied. We cannot just perform rehabilitation of the sites because of the standing suspension order," according to a mine worker who asked not to be named. He added that the company “is very willing to initiate rehabilitation if the government will tell us to proceed.”

Manicani parish priest Lenox Garcia said it was up to the locals if they would allow mining in their area. “If the people will continue to allow big corporations to exhaust all their resources, which lead to the destruction of the environment, then we are facing our own destruction,” he added.

Garcia urged the public to “think of the next generations, who will never have the chance to see the natural beauty of these islands.”

MARK SALUDES/ABS-CBN NEWS PHOTO An open pit mining site on Manicani island that was left untouched after the government suspended the nickel ore extraction operations of Hinatuan Mining Corporation in 2002. Residents call for a rehabilitation plan for the disturbed land that was...